She Hath Done What She Could in the Home

Saturday, June 7, 2014

I was so excited when Be The Light Tees asked to send me some scripture filled tee shirts! I love to wear these tees during our Vacation Bible School, Church Camp and just around town for errands. You never know what could strike up a conversation with someone. Be the Light has very cute designs and so many of them have excellent, thought provoking scriptures!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

We've made it through 3 months of the no-buy 2014 Remix Challenge, started on Instagram by my buddy, @jen_murph! This month brought a change for me, as it was my birthday month! So that meant I received gifts, money and gift cards to shop! Fun, fun!

Above is a photo of my gifts. I got the Jcrew khaki blazer at Goodwill for $9, the boots at Target with a giftcard for $10.49, the sandals at F21 for $29, the Anthro top with a gift card (with money left on it), the essential oil book from a friend, the Dooney satchel with gifted money on eBay for $100 (retails $400), the Old Navy items were around $7 each, the H&M shirt $10, the Gap camo tee for $13, the JNL Fusion workout was a gift from my fitness mentor and friend, and my hubby got me the TEAL Chromebook!! Whoot, Whoot!! Score for the 44th birthday loot.

Part of the fun of having a birthday for me is getting to shop, so I take the gifts of money and have a spree. Part of the fun is seeing how far my money can go. I feel good about the deals I was able to score, while still getting items I had on my wishlist for a long time!

I still have a little money left, but I'm not sure I'll buy anything else. So, how did it make me feel to deviate from the absolutely NO BUYING mode? Truthfully, it made me feel anxious and stressed out! It started when I walked into Old Navy. Every single item I had loved from the spring line was now all $10 or less- so it sent me into a tailspin, buying several items b/c their total wasn't even $100! (Ended up returning several things.) Then I saw a pair of Rock Star camos I HAD TO HAVE........but my store didn't have them, so it sent me on a wild goose chase of calling multiple stores, having to track down my size, put them on hold and find the time in my schedule to make a trip to pick them up. Ugh - bad shopping feelings all surfacing- the ones I had been FREE of for 2 months since the start of the re-mix. I don't like those feelings......the ones of "it's so cheap I have to buy it", "I can't rest until I find this item", "if this store has these awesome sales, I better check out such-and-such too", "must get the item I saw on Instagram"!!!

My conclusion - I still have plenty, more then plenty and I feel more content and peaceful NOT knowing what's out there. It's been a huge blessing being off email lists, not getting email coupons, not following IG shops. I have so much more free time to do things that are needful when I don't shop - in store or online.

My word for 2014 continues to be "LESS". God help me to want LESS of this world, LESS stuff, LESS of me and MORE of YOU!

How are you ladies doing on the challenge? My birthday is over, and I'm back on the no-buy until further notice! Let's do this and make 2014 a year of CHANGE!

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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Well, it's been 7 weeks since I started the challenge and I'm succeeding! I haven't purchased a single item. In some ways it seems like it's been a long time and in other ways, 7 weeks- ha, I'm sure many people are laughing at me! I know women who haven't purchased themselves new clothes, shoes or accessories for YEARS! But to me, it's a goal I am reaching and it makes me happy to have made another milestone.

It's hard to wrote posts like these without coming off wrong or like I'm lecturing people for their spending habits. Let me just put it "on the record" to say I write these things to reflect on myself and I write them in the hope that it may help others. Many have told me they are following along with the "no buy" challenge and find reading posts of other helpful - so I continue. But don't take anything I say as lecturing. If you like it, and the shoe fits, wear it!

The whole point of the 2014 Remix Challenge from Instagram was to shop your closet, use what you have, be creative with what you have, learn to do without and be content with what you already own. For a minute this thought ran through my head "With all the money I save, I will be able to buy this or that..........." Then I caught myself. That isn't a "no buy" that's a "delayed spending" plan! It's just a way of denying myself for a moment, then rewarding myself later - not really the point. How would that teach me contentment? How would that teach me to use what I have? It wouldn't.

Something that has hit me square in the face during this challenge is how very selfish and self-centered shopping and over-shopping is. No one wants to hear that. No one wants to admit they are selfish. I could always justify my purchases because I was shopping without debt, and making "bargain" or "deal" purchases. But if you look at it with an open heart, how much time do you spend on the pursuit? On the research? On the magazines? On the internet? Hunting down that certain shirt - even to the point of calling out of state stores and calling in a favor from your Instagram buddies? All the time spent was for ME. Fulfilling MY wants, MY wishes. It started to make me sick. I wonder how many times when I was headed out shopping, my husband just wanted me to be home to be with him? Help him? Encourage him? But in his kindness and patience, he never criticized.

Put the shoe on the other foot. How would you feel if your husband came home every day with a purchase? A new shirt, a new golf club, new sunglasses - all bought on sale, all marked down. Would it bother you? Would you start to think of him as selfish? What about that special vacation you wanted to take with him - would his daily "deal" purchases take a toll on your long-term goal and would you harbor some resentment? It's something to think about. I know sometimes people say "we have the money" or "I'm still saving so I can spend this extra". That's wonderful - but the focus here isn't on the money - it's on the heart. Where is your emphasis, focus, and time spent? You can say you love your family first and foremost, but are your actions showing you do?

Do you ever think about servant hood? I've been reading Chuck Swindoll's book "Improving Your Serve" and I must say it's an eye opener! It's actually a hard read - to put yourself out there to be a servant is hard. So much is entailed in being a servant and it all starts with putting others before yourself and putting yourself......... last. There are so many good works out there just waiting for someone to help, someone to care. It would do the soul good to quit thinking of self so much and start thinking of others more.

So here's to making it almost one more month! Old Navy is making it reeeallly hard to stay strong. That striped Walmart button down is making it hard. That Kate Spake 75% off sale made it hard. But guess what? That's life! Every day there is going to be a temptation, a deal, a choice we have to make. I'm trying to look at shopping with my long-term glasses, and meet my end goals with my daily decisions - top priority being a home in heaven. We can do it ladies! Let's keep on keeping on! I appreciate each and every one of you who is doing the 2014 Remix Challenge right along with me. The encouragement means so much!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

I have joined the Instagram #2014closetremixchallenge in an effort to not shop and make use of what I already have. I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head about this, I thought it might help to get it down on paper (or screen!)

I love fashion and putting together outfits. I see nothing wrong with this UNLESS it gets out of balance (meaning when you start to spend too much time on one area of your life – too much time shopping, reading magazines, Pinterest). I don’t think anyone could say it’s bad to like fashion or want to dress nicely. I actually think it's unfair of people to say because you post your outfit of the day, you are a materialistic person who only cares about yourself. I don't think this is true of any of the women I follow on Instagram. I post because it's fun to share with other women who love fashion and get inspiration and ideas from each other! Sometimes our "in real life" friends don't share the same interest in fashion, and it's fun to find online buddies who know what the latest Jcrew lama sweater is! Sometimes we find a great deal, and it's fun to share the treasure in a quick picture on Insta.

But my hobby of shopping, even though done within a budget, has become too much. I need to dial it back. I need to organize what I have and downsize. I don’t do debt, and I want that to be clear on my blog and Instagram. I have done the Dave Ramsey program, but I learned the "living below your means" lesson from my mother-in-law 22 years ago. She lived through the depression and was so wise when it came to money. She taught me so much during my first year of marriage to her son! I would hate to steer anyone into any form of debt by showing things on my Instagram. I try to shop the sales, markdowns and clearance and show via the blog and Instagram that you can dress well for less. I try to gear my tips towards deals you can find that are affordable. In the end, the best plan to follow is, if you don't have the money, don't buy it!

Even though I have always known it, lately I've been thinking hard about the fact that everything I have comes from God. Everything I have is HIS -money, house, possessions, they are just entrusted to me. I will give an account of how I have used my resources. HUMBLING isn’t it? I know people will say “I work hard for my money and I’ll do what I want with it!" It’s wonderful to have a great work ethic, but if we look at it honestly, the very job we have, strength we have to get out of bed, health we enjoy each day to keep working, have nothing to do with us and everything to do with the God who gave it all to us!

Recently I’ve read “In His Steps”, “Improving Your Serve” and currently, “Living with Less” and they are all speaking volumes. I think of Jesus and the fact He had NO possessions! I want to make mine a simpler life. A less “this world” focus and a more “eternal world” focus – concentrating on things that will really last. Doing for others. There are about a million books written that say “less is more”. Books written on the journeys people have made from more to less…….only to find greater happiness! I love reading blogs and Instagram, but get put off by things like “check out my haul”, “I’m obsessed”, “I couldn’t resist”, “had to have it”, “glad this was delivered while my hubby was at work”, “I’m IN LOVE with this necklace” – you get the picture. Even young teenage girls spend hours on You Tube going piece by piece through their “hauls”. What are we teaching young girls to value? STUFF? What are we teaching them to focus on? Themselves?

These thoughts are all well and good, but now it’s time to put my money where my mouth is so to speak! So I’m in……….really in for this. I am in NEED of nothing. I want to be a better steward. I want to make use of what I already own. The challenge is for a month and then extended to however long you want it to be……….I’m going to try for the long haul. I know, you are probably saying to yourself, “sure, I’ve heard this before”. That’s what my son is saying to me. Hopefully this time, I’ll prove the naysayers wrong!

Hebrews 13:14 – This world is not my home. I pray I can rely on God and His Word to help me reach my goal! I'm thankful for my Instagram buddies that are providing support and inspiration along the way!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

I named the month of October "Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without" month for me on my Instagram. I would say I have just done "alright"in all areas. Pretty mediocre for sure. I've done the best in groceries, only purchased produce and must need items for meals. But I'm thinking and pondering and my mind is going 100 miles an hour.

I started to read this book "To Buy or Not to Buy" by April Lane Benson. You might want to check out her website Shopaholicnomore.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who loves shopping. I will say, it's a hard read! (and I'm only on chapter 3!) Get ready to do some soul searching. Get ready to read hard things that describe you to a "T"! I'm not kidding. It's a great book - pretty therapeutic actually. There are journal exercises you do along with the book, so I'm taking it slow and digesting it all as I go. So far the book has talked about emotions associated with shopping, why do you shop, triggers for when you shop and hard questions like "how do you want to be remembered?" and "do your values line up with your shopping habits?" Ouch.

So for my progress, I've done much better this month. I've found my triggers (or I always knew but just reminded myself) are sales and coupons. I can be sold on anything if it's a good sale! I NEED it more if it's on sale! So I'm not looking at any sale ads or opening retailers emails. Still, I have purchased things and have convinced myself they were "staple" items that have been on my list for months (and they were but still............come on!)

Obviously, I NEED nothing. I can be clothed for a long time to come. I'm working on putting time into more valuable things like Bible study and prayer. I'm doing a devotional with some Instagram friends and we are helping each other along. I'd invite anyone to email me, comment below or on my Instagram if you want to join in the daily devotional we are following on You Version.

I'd love to hear any comments on your progress or tips via the blog or my Instagram feed!